Inspired by the Morsbags movement, September's challenge is to take a reusable bag with you every time you shop, instead of using the disposable plastic bags give out by stores.According to the Morsbags website, over 1 million plastic bags are consumed per minute, worldwide. They've only been around for about 30 years, but they may take closer to 500 years to degrade (no-one really knows - plastic wasn't invented 500 years ago). So every single plastic bag that has ever been made still exists somewhere, whether it's buried in a landfill, or fluttering gaily from a tree (where I believe they are termed "witches' knickers"), or filling up the stomach of a minke whale.
You cannot throw them away. There is no "away". But if you buy or make a sturdy reusable bag and remember to take it with you when you go shopping, you can avoid perhaps 150-200 plastic bags. That's approximately how many we each use per year.
Take the challenge. Carry a bag. And don't forget to vote in the poll in the right-hand sidebar.
4 comments:
Does having had a delivery today from Tesco with the "no bags please" option, and having used some cardboard boxes last time I actually went into the store, count?
Already ahead of you (this time) - my "man-bag" always has a reusable cotton carrier bag stuffed inside it ready to be pulled out - it still amuses me how bemused some shop keepers are when you say "no, don't worry about a bag, I've got my own"
Back in June, I encouraged my readers to get involved in the Plastic Ain't my bag movement
Of course, my reusable bag is currently on the floor of the living room with half the GF scrip in it. But I'm not going shopping today. Must remember to put it back in my handbag tonight.
My son, who is a greengrocer, decided to stop buying plastic bags more than 4 years ago. Customers save bags for him (and egg boxes and honey jars) and most people use cloth bags or baskets now.
We always ask customers if they want a bag, never assume they do, and that happens in most shops now in my small town.
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